


abrasion

by snoozyfern



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, angery bird man with boob lady, my giftee's oc is in there too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 06:26:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13117941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snoozyfern/pseuds/snoozyfern
Summary: bl exchange 2017 gift fic for tumblr user dreamingwithsnakessmely bird man falls in love with bartender. rocky relationship ensues





	abrasion

When he met her the first time, he was too busy being surrounded by bandits - and firing at said bandits - to consider even looking up at the commentator singing his praises. Complimenting his aim, his choice of weaponry, barely heard over the stuttering gunfire and blaring music that was just a little too glitzy for Mordecai’s taste. He didn’t see the point in the theatrics, but if that was what got him paid, he’d fight until this woman’s game was over. This was Lilith’s dumb idea, anyway – ‘we may as well, nothing else is going on, and it might be fun!’ _Fun, my ass_ , Mordecai rolled his eyes and sighed dejectedly, popping a shot between the eyeballs of a slightly-too-close brawler. Mad Moxxi, _if that was her real name_ , giggled with delight into her loudspeaker, riling up the crowd. He had grown used to the monotony of easy gunfights – popping shots and reloading mechanically, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was enjoying this just a little too much – the thrill in her voice as she observed the deliciously gory amount of blood and viscera exploding from these unfortunate opponents of his was hard to ignore. Only when the wave ended, and the crowd went wild, did he spare a thought to look up at the over-excited commentator. She looked down at the hunter, her heavily made-up lips curving into a smirk as they met eyes. She gave him a flirtatious little wave, before blowing him a kiss.  
“Good work, sweetie. You defeated the final wave! I do like a man who’s efficient with something long, rigid, and full of firepower.” she called, probably referring to his sniper rifle, but the woman’s bold innuendo wasn’t lost to him. He smirked back in agreement, observing her long hair and her pretty face and her wit and her cockiness and everything on top; and he fell in love _instantly_. The loot he won was more that compensation for the hours he spent at the Underdome, but no glittering prize was more tempting than a date with Moxxi herself, which he gladly accepted. Lilith gave him double thumbs up, mouthing ‘you’re welcome!’ as the hunter left the arena with the beautiful woman on his arm, using his other arm to call Bloodwing, but not before presenting the boastful siren with his middle finger.

When she met him the first time, she had just split from her third husband, and decided to get her fill of excitement and lust for life through bloody carnage. Hosting the charismatic and interesting Vault Hunters would be a sure-fire crowd pleaser for her audience at the Underdome. The masked man was her favourite; the soldier was too straight-edge and dull, the Siren intrigued her… but she was too brash and bold. As for the big beefy guy... well, he wasn’t much for conversation. The strange man with the rifle on his back and the bird on his arm was mysterious and interesting to her, so she watched him with eyes like a hawk as she perched up in her commentator’s nest. She taunted him playfully from her spot, but she just couldn’t get a rise out of this silent assassin. Only when he was finished with his kills did he look up to connect their lines of sight; at least, she assumed so – his eyes were obscured by those goggles of his. But she knew he was looking when his steeled expression twisted into a wry smirk after she let a soft giggle spill from her pursed lips, blowing him a kiss and offering a sultry wave.  
She took the time to greet them while they collected their prizes, sashaying with an expert pace up to the masked man. The gentle clicking of her heels couldn’t be missed against the hard floor, catching the hunter’s attention.  
“Congratulations on your winnings, mystery man. You’re a capable sniper indeed.” Moxxi smiled, leaning over onto one hip. “What’s your name, kiddo?” The masked man paused briefly from shuffling through the loot, and looked up to face the woman.  
“It’s Mordecai.” He responded, and Moxxi noticed his teammates looking over his shoulder to look at her, with armfuls of heavy weaponry. The siren was nudging the brawler with her elbow suggestively, and he chuckled deeply.  
“Well, _Mordecai_ , I was wondering if you’d be interested in the grand prize I’m offering. Namely, a date, with yours truly.” She shaped her face into a warm smile as the siren rapidly tried to get the attention of the stoic soldier, slapping his arms and back wherever she could reach. Mordecai offered you a wide grin and a nod of acceptance, and you fell in love _instantly,_ conveniently enough.  


When the two met for their date, it was in a dingy little bar in New Haven - Pandora was a little romantically limited in terms of dating spots. They sat at the bar together, drinking Rakk ale and exchanging playful banter throughout the night. Moxxi couldn’t help but notice Mordecai’s bird curled up atop the bar, resting peacefully, the man’s gloved hand carding through its feathers. It seemed to be the leather-clad sniper’s constant companion – it was an interesting little pet, she’d never seen such a creature.  
“His name’s Bloodwing.” Mordecai explained, as if he had read her mind. “We’ve been together a long time, him and me. He has my back, and I… I feed him, I guess.” He snorted, and she laughed pleasantly.  
“He’s a very interesting bird. I haven’t seen one like that before. Can I…?” Moxxi moved her hand towards the bird, and Bloodwing make a deep groaning sound.  
“He’s a little temperamental. He tends to bite people he doesn’t know that well, so I wouldn’t.” Mordecai told her, and she accepted it, retracting her hand to place it delicately around her bottle.

A few months into the relationship, and Moxxi was beginning to realise that Mordecai probably hadn’t dated much. He seemed much more interested in that _damned bird_ more than spending time with her. She had tried everything; distracting him, arranging dates, even trying to _get him into bed, for God’s sake_ \- to no avail.  One day, it got too much, and it came to a head.  
“So, what is it?! Don’t you love me anymore? Am I not good enough for you?!” she yelled, the mist in her eyes threatening to ruin her makeup.  
“No! God dammit, can’t I do _anything_ without you taking it as some kind of personal attack?!” he fired back, Bloodwing ruffling his feathers at the commotion.  
“Don’t you _dare_ make me the bad guy in this! Is it too much to ask for some of your time once in a while?!” Moxxi crossed her arms angrily, willing herself not to cry at his cruelty.  
“I have shit to do, Mox! Did you forget I’m a fucking Vault Hunter?! That comes with a level of responsibility! There’s always something else to do, and I’m sorry that you don’t take priority over the safety of literally _everyone in New Haven!”_ he gestured wildly with his hands as if to emphasise his anger. “And what about you, huh? You ain’t a fuckin’ shining example of loyalty and commitment. You ran off to fuckin’ Concordia! You went to another goddamn planet without me!”  
“I am out of here. _Come find me when you decide this relationship is worth something, and then we’ll talk! Until then, I’m done!”_ Moxxi announced, stomping towards the door to Mordecai’s dingy little apartment, flinging it open and slamming it behind her with all the force she could muster. She marched towards Scooter’s garage, tears streaming down her face. Her son poked his head out from under a broken runner, immediately on the defensive.  
“Ma?! Oh god dammit, did Mordecai say something? What’d he do this time? He better not ‘a hit you or I swear I’ll-” He was cut off by a mechanical whistling sound, and a horrific crash; Marcus’ shop behind her exploded and threw her off her feet. She looked back at the burning building and the slowly marching army of bright yellow loaderbots, and made a futile attempt to run back to the man she loved. By the time recovered from the fall and pulled herself up, Mordecai was already out of the building, rifle in hand and bird in the air. He spotted where she and Scooter were lying, and he ran over as Scooter pulled her up. Mordecai addressed him as Moxxi leaned against her son for support, the hunter placing an arm on her shoulder.  
“Listen to me, kiddo. You take that runner, and get you and your mom to the safe zone, okay?!” he commanded, Scooter nodding but barely grasping his circumstances in the daze the explosion had caused.  
“Y-yeah, you got it. C’mon Ma, we need to get the hell out of here.” He agreed, but she was not so complacent, looking up at Mordecai for some assurance of hope.  
“Listen to me, _amor_. I need to know you’ll be alright, and the best way for me to do that is to get you out of here. I’ll come and find you, okay?!” Mordecai assured her half-heartedly. She never got to give her a response, as Scooter was already rushing her away into his runner, and she looked back at the burning town, weeping softly with guilt and fear. Mordecai looked away from the carnage at the speeding runner and the cloud of dust it left, sending her away with a silent prayer and the promise of a reunion somewhere safe.

 

The dynamic between them was different after New Haven. The attack cost them a lot of people. Moxxi fled to Sanctuary, along with the rest of the surviving populace. Mordecai was swept back up into being a Crimson Raider, which meant he was fortifying the town, off on scouting missions, and all the rest of it. He hadn’t even had time to meet her and apologise for what he’d said, _he didn’t even know if she was okay_. Scooter gratingly told him that she was alright a few days after the attack, and he made it a priority to visit her, despite Scooter’s obvious displeasure in talking to him. Moxxi had opened a bar in her own time to help boost the morale and wellbeing of the townspeople; she became the gatekeeper of her own haven, providing food and drink and music. Mordecai stood nervously at the entrance to the aptly named _Moxxi’s_ , shuffling his feet a little. How the hell would he even talk to her? How would he even broach the subject? He walked in nervously, looking around at the mostly hollowed out building; they hadn’t been here long. As if forcing his hand, she walked out of the back room with a crate; noticing him, she stepped back slightly in shock, the crate clattering to the floor.  
“…Mordecai?” she said, not believing what she was seeing, a man she assumed dead. He looked different now; the leather mask covering his face was abandoned, but the goggles remained. The monotonous colours of his clothes had been cut through with a thick crimson scarf wound around his leathers. _He looked tired._  
“Hey, Mox. I’m sorry that I--“ Mordecai was cut off by a pair of slender arms around his chest, squishing him tight, and a soft face against the crook of his neck.  
“Don’t you apologise for this, you stupid, stubborn man. Don’t apologise for any of it.” Moxxi laughed softly, “It matters so little to me now. I’m just glad you’re alive.”  
“You were right, though. You were lonely, and I should have been kinder to you about it.” He responded, his hands settling on her back. “And I ain’t claiming to be any kind of expert on how any of this works, but I wanna get it right this time. An’ I hope you’ll give me another chance.”

Moxxi pulled back a little, tucking a little bit of his headband back under the strap of his goggles. She pursed her lips with a little smile. “Weeeeell, it might take some convincing. Perhaps we should go out for drinks again sometime.”  
“Ahh, I dunno, Mox. You’re really pullin’ my leg here.” He replied, making her laugh. “But I can’t really say no to that face, hm? I’ve got time.”  
Moxxi pressed a kiss to his check, escaping his grasp to call out to the young man helping her renovate the bar. “Asmus, honey, take a break if you want. I’m heading out for a little while.” She called to her ashy haired assistant, and he responded with a curt nod, placing the crate he was holding down gently to sit atop it. Moxxi turned back to the hunter, and he held an arm out for her to hold, with a wide grin. She beamed, winding her arms around his as they left the bar together, walking out into the hot Pandora sun. _This would work out just fine_ , Moxxi thought, rolling her head over to one side to sit against his shoulder.  



End file.
